The Living Room from Hell
by Sophiacharlotte
Summary: Caryl AU - please note..Trigger warning for cancer Sometimes happiness finds you even when your hiding from it.
1. Chapter 1

AN:ok major trigger warning for cancer here.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Who the fuck ever decided that it had to be lazyboy chairs? That's what Daryl wanted to know.

Daryl slunk down in his chair, staring around the room. He hated every second of the treatments. He wanted to be in a room, by himself, staring at a blank wall, get this over and done with and be out the door.

Instead, it was the lazyboys, in a circle, and the brightly flowered walls, and the crappy paintings and staring at all the hollow faces in those lazyboys. He'd asked the nurse once why they did it this way, she had looked at him like he had two heads and told him it was to make the environment more cheerful. God forbid you get fucking depressed when you have cancer.

At least there were no kids, he wasn't sure he could handle that. It was enough that he was so fucking uncomfortable in this living room from hell he didn't need to see no kids going through this, or see them start to fade.

He was lucky they told him. He started having bitch of headaches, finally after Merle's incessant nagging he'd gone to the doctor. He'd been shocked when they told him he had a small tumour that had to come out. They had gone in through his nose to get it out. Merle had fainted in the doctors office when the surgery had been explained to Daryl. Then the mother fucking tumor ended up being cancerous.

So it was on to twelve weeks of chemo and then five weeks of radiation. He was on week four of chemo, in the living room from hell.

He didn't want to get to know the other people sitting in the chairs. Hell they didn't seem to want to know him either. There was an empty chair next to him today. He knew what that meant, but he wouldn't let himself think it.

The nurse was messing with his port trying to access it, he absolutely refused to take his shirt off when the nurse had given him a Johnny shirt to put on backwards so they could access the port he had put in two weeks ago, she was struggling to access it above his heart with just his button up shirt undone. "watch it, I still got stitches" he hissed when she finally accessed the site.

He watched the door open suddenly. The nurse went over to greet the new arrival. Great, a newbie, he thought and in the seat next to mine.

She was with a woman with blond hair and a little girl about ten years old. Lesbian? He briefly wondered, but then shook his head no. She didn't give off that vibe despite her short hair. She got down on her knees, to talk to the little girl. The smile on her face when she looked at her kid blew him away. When she smiled like that she was the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She tenderly brushed the little girls hair behind her ears, all the while talking to her and smiling that smile.

The little flung herself at her momma and hugged her, then. He saw the way her eyes clamped shut tightly and she threaded her fingers through her girls hair. It was like she was memorizing the moment. Like every hug from her girl was precious, something to be treasured.

The blonde gently pulled the girl back with a smile and lead her out of the room. The nurse showed her to a change room. The woman turned for a moment glancing at the room, that's when he saw her eyes. Those eyes were like fucking oceans, or the sky when he was in the forest on a sunny day.

She caught his eye for a moment and then blushed. Glancing down at the floor biting her lip. Fuck me he thought that was sexy as fuck. He should not be thinking this way, not here not now. Definetly not in the middle of chemo.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: short chapter.

I just want to make clear, I want to show that cancer doesn't take away your desires of make you less of a person. You're still you only with a major obstacle in front of you. I mean no offence, I hope no one takes it that way :) picc is a central line (special Iv)in your upper arm.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 2

Carol stared in the mirror of the small change room. The nurse had given her a hospital gown to put on, she had a PICC in her upper arm. The gown had snaps up the shoulders. She giggled at the ridiculousness of it, she could just wear her tank top. They were so concerned about modesty and privacy but yet she had to endure her first chemo treatment in front of an audience.

She flushed remembering the man out in the clinic. The way he stared at her, his eyes had followed her and she'd seen lust. It was the first time she'd felt like a woman in years.

Her disastrous marriage to Ed had ended when he's gotten into a car crash. He'd been drunk at the time. She'd been so ashamed but his death had been freeing. For the first time she felt like she wanted to live, enjoy life. Enjoy her child.

So of course she'd gotten incredibly sick. She'd ignored it at first. The fevers, the headaches and nausea. The fact that she was always tired. Finally Andrea, her best friend had forced her to the doctor. Cervical cancer.

She'd had the surgery. Thirty four and she couldn't have any more kids. Not that she wanted any. Sophia was the love of her life. It was knowing that she couldn't,suddenly her brain because it was now impossible was playing tricks on her. Making her think she wanted it. But she wasn't someone to pout about spilled milk. It was done, she couldn't go back. It was more important to live, to survive for Sophia.

She'd had the talk with Andrea. She had to it was the responsible thing to do. If she didn't make it, Andrea would raise Sophia, but her mind rebelled at the thought. She wouldn't leave her child. Not if she had anything to say about it.

But she felt like she had a giant sign around her neck that said "Cancer!". Everyone looked at her differently. She hated the pity in their eyes. She could almost hear them predicting her death.

She wasn't someone who needed pity. This was a road bump on her way to being happy. That was all, and anyone who thought otherwise needed to just stop.

Mr. Sexy eyes had looked at her like she was a woman, like he would like to get his hands on her. She grinned putting the gown on backwards, pulling her tank top down and pushing the girls up. She grabbed her lipstick from her purse and fluffed her hair.

Time to join the party she thought and stepped out of the dressing room.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: trying to pick up steam on some of my lagging fics. Still dealing with some big health issues, I'm sorry for my slow updates. Let me know what you think. :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 3

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The chairs were absolutely fabulous. Carol slipped off her flip flops as the nurse put her feet up on the foot rest. Andrea had insisted on a spa day yesterday the day before her first treatment her toes were newly painted and freshly manicured.

She wiggled her toes and sighed as the nurse went of to get the supplies to access her picc. Letting the gown she had placed on over tank top open slightly she was trying to give her neighbour an innocent view of the girls and her cleavage.

Her cheeks flushed as she realized what she was doing, good lord that was probably the last thing on this poor man's mind.

She eyed him from the corner of her eye. He was tall, the chair didn't seem large enough to accommodate his frame. He seemed uncomfortable, as though he would rather be anywhere but there, but honestly who wouldn't?

His eyes were darting towards her and then looking up towards the ceiling.

The others in the room gradually left until it was just her and her neighbour left. It was getting close to lunch, she imagined there would be no more appointments until the afternoon. The nurses were sitting at a desk at the other end of the room only monitoring their vitals every half hour but otherwise working on paperwork.

She glanced to the side and caught him staring again, his face flushing brightly as their eyes meet and then he looked away. She bit her lip grinning.

"So, how long are you in for?" She asked suddenly.

He looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"How many weeks chemo? How long you in for?" She asked with a grin.

"Lady this ain't prison." He said crankily.

"Speak for yourself." She grinned.

She saw his lip twitch. "You seem pretty damn happy...". He muttered.

"Thank you" she grinned interrupting him.

"For being in prison." He finished quirking his brow at her.

She sighed turning slightly in her chair a grin on her face as she noticed his eyes glancing down briefly at her cleavage. " Why wouldn't I? " she said seriously.

Xxxxxxxx

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Was this girl for real? Fuck she was here, wasn't she? In this living room from hell.

"Are you for real?" He snapped. "You do see what's being pumped into your arm right now? You have cancer."

She smiled at him then. It was the funniest thing. Her eyes seem to reach out and grab him, twisting his gut in the depths that he wanted to loose himself in. " if I'm not happy now, there may not be a chance to be later. I wasted too much of my life, putting off being happy, waiting for all the stars to align. I'm happy now cause I want to be. Even if it's only because I'm making a new friend...Although he won't tell me his name and doesn't seem to have a sense of humour." She added wryly.

"Daryl" he grunted.

She smiled then her face filling with joy. "Carol."

Carol, it suited her. He felt a funny stirring in his gut. He felt this funny need stirring inside of him. She looked so small sitting there on the chair, he felt his heart tighten in his chest. He wasn't the white knight type but she stirred in him this need to protect, he wanted to take care of her. Fucking hell.

"12"

She titled her head to the side in confusion. Fuck, she was adorable as fuck. This was unfair. "12 weeks of chemo."

Her smile lit up her face. It reminded him of sunshine. He didn't want to start feeling things that he had no time for. That wasn't where he was at in his life.

But she reached out, her fingers stretching out past the armrest of her chair, offering her hand out. Her skin was soft, he felt a thousand tiny sparks circle up his nerves and run up his arm filling his skin with gooseflesh. A shiver running down his spine at her smile as she shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Daryl."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: another little chapter.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 4

Carol's 2nd Round, Daryl's 4th

"Is it always like this?"

Daryl eyed Carol. She was sitting next to him her feet propped up on the foot rest of the recliner. He could see tiny rhinestones applied to the nail polish on her toes. It was a cotton candy metallic pink. Pretty damn perky.

There was an unwritten rule. Once you claim a chair that one was yours for the duration. That's how he'd ended up with the snorer on his right and Carol on his left. Bob the snorer would come in, nod to everyone and as soon as his port was accesed he'd be out for the count. Softly snoring for four hours straight until the nurse would stir him to wake up.

Daryl had liked the solitude. The rest of the group engaged in mindless chit chatter which he had no desire to join in on.

"I guess". He muttered biting his nail. He'd been worrying about Merle. He'd seemed so "off" lately. The whole cancer thing was wreaking havoc on Merle. Or so he said. Secretly Daryl wondered if it was any excuse to jump off the wagon would do. Never knowing if Merle was going loose it and go off on a bender was starting to wear thin.

"Are you alright?"

Her soft voice startled him out of his thoughts and he turned to her. She had a concerned look on her face. Like she actually cared.

He sighed "Just got a lot on my plate...family shit." He muttered then winced at how badly that must have sounded to her. They all had a lot on their plate, and she had a kid to boot. "Sorry" he muttered.

"Sorry for what?" She asked her brows knitted together in confusion.

"For being a dick...we all got shit going on."

She smiled then and reached out to touch his hand. "You have nothing to be sorry about, whatever is wrong, I wager is just as important as everyone else's problems Daryl. Because they are important to you, you matter, you know that right?"

He felt a lump in his throat threaten to overtake him. Fuck! What the hell was she doing to him? If he wasn't one moment lusting after a glance of her chest, he was overcome with emotion at the way she made him feel with a few words. Or a touch he thought suddenly realizing his hand was still clasped in hers. He lifted his thumb, almost without realizing he was doing it and started circling the pad of his thumb on the sensitive skin between her thumb and forefinger. He saw her involuntary shiver before he dropped her hand.

Trying to lighten the mood he snorted out a joke. "The only one who cares if I make it through this is my brother...and that's when he is sober."

Lying slightly on her side she smiled at him sadly a pallor spreading across her skin, he knew the meds were starting to hit her hard "I doubt that" she whispered "I bet there are lots who care, you just don't let them in. I only just met you and I care."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: written on my break at work on my phone. pease excuse all the mistakes

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 5

Carol's 3rd Daryl's 5th

She was late today. Carol usually showed fifteen minutes after him. The nurses spaced the appointments out by fifteen minutes so the had time to get one infusion up and running before moving on to the next patient. It was like a fucking assembly line. Everyone had an egg timer beside their chair. The nurses reset it every time they did vital signs checks to keep everything on schedule. Egg timer went off, blood pressure checked, speed of the Infusion went up. Everything ran like clockwork and Carol was late.

It would almost annoy Daryl if he didn't have this niggling fear in the pit of his stomach. There was a routine, and a schedule, she should keep to the routine, but a part of him dreaded the reasons why she might be late. Or not show at all.

Hospital admissions were always the number one fear. The hospital was heaving cesspool of infection and fucking germs from what he was told. A fucking big problem if you were taking medication that made it easier to get sick. Merle had been watching documentaries and imparting all his newfound knowledge about Daryl's fragile immune system.

Yesterday him and Merle had been at the grocery store, waiting in line behind a woman with three kids. The kids had obviously had the sniffles. Merle had become more paranoid then a hazmat worker, sending dirty looks toward the obviously frazzled mom. Merle had whipped out hand sanitizing wipes to wipe down the cart when a little toddler about three came over touching the cart staring at the two men as he wiped snot with the back of his hand.

"Lady keep your germ pots at a three foot distance." Merle had snapped.

"Fuck off Merle." Daryl had huffed, flushing brightly. He sent the frazzled mom an apologetic look.

That night Merle had been hounding him non stop about eating. He wasn't hungry and he hadn't wanted anything, but Merle had gotten on kick where suddenly the cure for all of Daryl's problems was pot. Merle had nagged incessantly until Daryl had exploded.

"If you want pot so bad go get it, just leave me the fuck alone!" He'd gone slamming into his room to hear Merle slam out of the house.

He hadn't seen Merle since. Things were a mess, out of order and now Carol was late, and it bothered him more than it should.

Images of Carol admitted to the hospital hooked up to intravenous or dehydrated worried through his mind when suddenly Carol burst into the clinic ten minutes late.

"I'm so sorry!" She muttered to the nurse. " This has been the morning from hell. I overslept and then my daughter had been playing with my keys and then she lost them. I had to wait for my friend Andrea to come and pick us up. Then she got a flat. Someone stopped to help us on the side of the road but he didn't speak English. Turns out he didn't know how to change a tire, so I had to do it. My daughter realized she forgot her back pack she was going to Andrea's for the night and..."

"Carol" the nurse interrupted her "Breathe."

Carol smiled."Sorry"

"Go sit sweetie, I'll get you some tea." The nurse said as she walked off to hang Carol's coat up on the coat rack.

Daryl huffed in amazement. That nurse had always been a massive bitch to him.

Carol sat down with a bounce next to him giving him a sweet smile that made his guts twist inside.

"Ya changed the tire all by yourself?" He asked incredulously.

"Of course." She said then her face brought on a mischievous grin "You would be amazed at all the things I can do with my hands." She Fucking winked at him as he flushed brightly. Images of what she could do with those hands of hers making him somewhat uncomfortable as he shifted his body slightly in the chair.

She shifted on her chair arranging her purse on the side table when she started to giggle hysterically.

"There's my keys, they were in my purse all along!" She picked up her phone and tapped out a quick text.

"My friend Andrea has been taking my daughter Sophia for the night when I have treatments. No need for her to see mom puking her guts up you know? Anyway Andrea insists on sending a car with a driver to pick me up. She was going to get him to go pick up my spare keys at her house. Poor guy, last week he was holding my hair as I puked on the side of the road." She finished the text and threw her phone into her purse. "At least know I'll save Dale the extra trouble." She said happily.

Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask "Where's your girl's daddy?" Fuck...he asked.

She brought her finger up to her mouth. Bitting her nail in what seemed to be a nervous gesture. He instantly regretted asking. "dead".

"Sorry..." He started but she put her hand up.

"Don't be. He was driving drunk. If it hadn't happened he probably would have killed me by now." She said her voice dropping to whisper. "Maybe that would have been better than Sophia seeing me going through this."

"Sophia...that your girl?" He asked

"Yeah" he didn't miss how her face pretty much shined when she spoke of her daughter.

"Seems to me, she'd probably take every minute with you she could get." He muttered.

She smiled then laying her cheek on the chair. "She would... I just want her to be happy you know?" Her eyes held a sheen of tears. He could get lost in those eyes. The tears seem to amplify the blue. They were crystal clear sapphire in color.

"She is." He said before he could stop himself.

She looked at him with that smile that he was starting to dream about.

"How do you know that?" Her voice was so queit. It seemed as though there was a spell, holding there eyes together. He couldn't have looked away even if he wanted to while he answered her.

"She has you."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: hey little update for u :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 6

Carol's 5th Daryl's 7th

"I like Picard."

"What? You got to be kidding me?Picard over Captain Kirk? Pfft Bullshit." Daryl said rolling his eyes at Carol. She was giggling at his response as she sat in her chair slightly turned to him as they chatted. She seemed to be able to get him to talk about the most ridiculous subjects.

"But Picard's bald head is so sexy..seriously." She grinned

"Surprised the glare of that man's head ain't caused the warp core to overheat." He grumbled but pleased when she threw her head back and laughed.

"Well it sure did cause me to overheat." She grinned and then winked.

Fuck his life, she was so fucking adorable. He found himself thinking about her, fantasizing about her throughout the week until he saw her again.

Last night he'd had a dream about her, he'd woken up in bed beside her, she'd been naked with her arms thrown up above her head, a smile on her face she'd bit her lip and watched him as he'd hesistantly lowered his hand down to touch her body. Her soft moans as he'd touched her, had sent him into a frenzy. Suddenly all he wanted was to make her cum, and he'd set about that task in his dream with vigor until he awoke alone in bed, hard and aching for release, longing for her more than he would care to admit.

"No one's caused me to overheat for awhile." She said sarcastically.

His head shot up as he was knocked out of his thoughts, he was two seconds away from offering to overheat her himself when he suppressed his lustful thoughts. He was very glad he had taken a blanket when the nurse had offered one today, otherwise she'd know just how overheated he was.

"Pfft...someone must have you got a kid." He grunted having a hard time to speak.

She smiled shyly, playing with a locket she always wore around her neck.

"Sophia's daddy... My husband Ed. Was...abusive. Life with him was never about passion...it was about survival. He was killed in a car accident. I was relieved...maybe this is my punishment." She gave him a sweet smile but her eyes were glassy. Filled with tears." She said softly.

"Naww... I don't believe that. I think maybe this is just to show you, show you how strong you are." Daryl said.

Carol smiled a beautiful look of hope filling her face. "You think so?"

"Yeah."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daryl was standing by the front door of the hospital waiting on his taxi when he saw her making his way out.

"Hey" Carol smiled walking up to him.

"Hey"

"Do you need a ride?" She asked

Looking toward the black town car that her friend Andrea had obviously sent for her.

"My brother's working I called a cab." He said.

"Oh." She turned to walk toward the car then stopped and turned. "Andrea is taking Sophia to a water park in the next state. They are going to be gone for three days. Wanna...wanna come over?" She laughed as she spoke again "we can get sick together?"


	7. Chapter 7

AN: hey I lost all steam on this one, so I'm going to end it. This is the last chapter I'm gonna mark it complete.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 7

Xxxxxxxx

"My brother's working I called a cab." He said.

"Oh." She turned to walk toward the car then stopped and turned. "Andrea is taking Sophia to a water park in the next state. They are going to be gone for three days. Wanna...wanna come over?" She laughed as she spoke again "we can get sick together?"

Xxxxxxxxxx

He had gone over, and every week after that. Daryl had fought against it. Every step of the way. He'd fought against Carol's loving nature. She was caring and kind and everything he'd never known he'd wanted. He'd never known how much he'd wanted affection throughout his life, until it had been freely offered. He craved her presence, and in the beginning that had terrified the hell out of him.

He didn't need anyone, but he was starting to need her, and there was no guarantee, that she wouldn't leave. No guarantee she wouldn't leave. Despite her never ending positivity, she was sicker than him. Not that it was a competition. Just as his feelings seemed to grow, so did his incessant worry over her survival.

So he rebelled against it, trying to build walls around his heart, to emotionally protect himself. Until the day, four weeks after their weekly visits started she didn't show up for her treatment.

He told himself she was fine, as the hours ticked by at a sickeningly slow speed. He told himself he was being paranoid, as he made his way to his truck. He cursed his own stupidity as he drove to her house. He prayed she was alright as he rang her bell.

She was so pale when she'd opened the door, but her smile, her smile had spread across her face when she'd seen him. "Daryl, I'm sorry I was going to text you so you wouldn't worry. My blood work was not so hot this week, they moved my chemo a few days."

He stood there nodding like an idiot. Until his hands could no longer control themselves, he pulled her to him. Burying his face in her neck he'd held her so closely.

Andrea had Sophia, so she'd brought him in, they'd ended up in her bed. He absolutely was not a snuggler, but she wasn't well enough for more than a few shared kisses, and his own treatment was hitting him hard. So they had slept, safe in each other's arms.

She was everything then. He met Sophia and they spent all the time they possibly could together. She celebrated when, he was given the all clear of being cancer free. He'd known that was coming.

For him being sick was a detour on the road of his life. An annoying pause in life. For her it was hurtling full speed towards a washed out bridge and hoping she could make the jump; landing safely on the other side.

Two months later, he sat by her bed, in the hospital as she fought of an aggressive pneumonia. They'd increased her treatment, annihilating as a side effect her immune system. She'd been asleep for awhile, struggling with every breath, as he held her hand he ran his fingers over her hand, over and over tracing a pattern on her skin. His voice was hoarse, with unshed tears, when he spoke.

"Everything in me, is telling me to run. I'm such a pussy, I've always been so scared to get hurt. But I can't run this time,...because I love you. I can't lose you too." He'd whispered to the silent room, when her hands had squeezed his softly.

She was awake, eyes shinning, lips smiling around the tube that was helping her breathe. She couldn't speak, but he saw it in her eyes. She loved him too.

She survived to fight, to fight through another round of treatment, to live, to flourish. To deal with his excessive nagging and over protectiveness, lord he thought Merle had been bad. It was nothing compared to him, but she never minded, she seemed to revel in his affection. To soak it up like it was sunshine in the midst of her cloudy days.

He'd asked her to marry him the day she went into remission, they'd married two weeks later. He would be forever grateful for fate or whatever it was that had guided his life, that sent them on the same path, sitting beside his soulmate in a living room that he'd assumed would start the worst days of his life, he couldn't have been more wrong. Happiness had been just around the corner, or in his case the next lazy boy chair.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So, sorry, this wasn't the ending I had planned but I just did not want to leave it unfinished.


End file.
